Plow.



G. G. FLOYD.

PLOW. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 28, 1907.

Patented June 8, 1909.

G. G. FLOYD.

PLOW. APPLICATION FILED 28, 1907.

Patented June 8, 1909.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Wzzzewwam G. G. FLOYD. -fl j=PLOW. I APPLICATION FILED AUG. 28, 1907- 923364. Patented June 8, 1909.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

'G. G. FLOYD.

PLOW. I

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 28, 1007.

923,964. Patented June 8, 1909.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

u. G. FLOYD.

PLOW.

, AIPLIOATION FILED AUG. 28, 1907.

- Patented June 8', 1909.

6 SHEETS-SEEET 5 rzm Weak/2202' G. G. FLOYD.

PLOW. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 28, 1907.

923,964, Patented June 8, 1909.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

UNEFE STATES P TENT OFFICE.

GEORGE G. FLOYD, OF GRANITE, ILLINOIS.

PLOW.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June s, 1909.

Application filed August 28, 1907. Serial No. 390,466.

To all whom it may concern:

,Be it known that I, GEORGE G; FLOYD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Granite, in the county of Madison and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Flows, of which the following is a specification.

' Irl'y invention relates to power driven plows and comprises the provision of means ior securing a firm hold in the round to enable the plow to be propelled by its motor,

circular edge of the disk. A. suitable motor,

such. as a gasolene or similar engine, 1s mounted on the frame of the machine and rotates these vaned or bladed concave plow disks. The disksand their scrapers or mold r. hoards perform their usual function of cutting the furrows and turning over the earth, while it 1s due to their vanes or blades that suiiicient purchase is obtained in the ground to enable the engine to propel the machine. As stated above, these bladesor vanes also loosen up, the sub-soil. The disks are disposed at an oblique angle to the direction of travel of the plow, and are also tipped or inclined. The wings or vanes are so placed on the rear sides of the disks that they'entor the, ground at substantially right angles to the dire/jtioi'i of travel of the machine, enabling the-securing of afirm hold in the ground, and leave the earth substantially parallel to that direction, thereby reducing to a minimum the back pressure.

Concisely stated, the object of my invention is the provision of a rotary powerdriven plowing implement which will drive itselt forward when rotated in contact with the soil.

On the accon'ipanying drawings, forming a part off-this specification, i have illustrated the preferred embodiment of my invention. and on salddrawings like reference charac- 'ter's refer to the same parts throughout the ring to the drawings Figure. 1. is a plan view ofmy improved (ilSk plow; Fi side eievatim'l. oi" the plow, certain parts being broken away to more clearly illustrate the construction, and the engine being shown in dotted lines; [*ig. 3 is a front end elevation o-fthe machine, the engine being shown in dotted lines; Fig. 4 is a verti cal cross-section on line 44 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a vertical section on line 5-5 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6,of Fig. 4. Fig; 7 is a plan view on an enlarged scale of one of the plowing disks, the arrow indicat-' ing the forward direction of travel of the same, and one of the blades of the disk being shown in full line and dotted line position; and Fig. 8 is a rear elevation of the disk shown in Fig. 7, the ground or earth being alsoshown.

Suitably supported on a substantially triangular frame 10 provided with a floor or deck 11 is a motor 12 of any desirable form, such as a'gasolene engine. is supported on three carrying wheels 13, 1.4 and 15, all of which are mounted on bent axles 16, 16 and 17 in suitable boxes or bearings,-the latter axle 17 having a downwardly-inclined portion 18 on which the 90 tilted furrow wheel 15 is mounted. The axle 16 is held from turning in any preferred manner, but the axles 16 and 17 each have fixed thereto and projecting forwardly a crank arm 19, the pair of arms being con- 5 nected by a cross-M1 20 which may be shifted by a steering handle 21 on the top of an upright shaft 22 journaled on the frame at 23 and connected to the central portion of rod or bar 20- by an arm 24. By this means 90 the two froht wheels may be turned so as to steer the machine in any direction desired.

The single rear drive wheel 13,-whichi-s used for propelling the machine only when the bladed disksare not operated, is i'ibbe il on its periphery at 14 for an obvious pur pose and receives power from the engine 12 through the cooperating gears 25 and 26, the latter of which is fixed to a main power shaft 27 rotatable in bearings 28 and 29 on 109 the frame. By means of a clutch 30 controlled by a handle 31 the sprocket wheel 32 may be clutched and unclutched from the shaft 27. As is clearly "illustrated in Fig. 2, the rotation of wheel 32 is trans m5 mitted to the carrying drive wheel 13 by a sprocket chain 33 and another sprocket wheel 34. By the means described above the plow may be steered and caused to travel or be propelled when no plowing is being done. no

The frame 10 the blades and the one of the sleeves and a shelf or forward projection 45 extended 'below' and bearing against the adjacent under surface of bearing 41 or 42. Keyed to shaft 39 adjacent .to the supports or hangers as are a pair of bevel pinions 46, the teeth of each of which mesh with those of a similar pinion 47 on a tilted shaft 48 rotatable in bearings 49 and 50 of each support or hanger 43. Each sup port 43 is also equip ed with a pair of bearings or boxes 51 an 52 within which rotates an inclined shaft 53 having fixed to its upper end a concave plow disk 54., The retation of shaft 48 is transmitted to the shaft 53 throu h a pair of bevel gears 55 and 56 suitably of a divided casing 57 at the bottom end of the support 43. In casing 57 I place an adjusting screw 57 bearing against the adjacent end. of shaft It will be aoparent from the above de;

scription and i lustration that the supporting brackets or han ers 43 with the disks and gears carried thereby may be swung around the axis of shaft 39 on the bushings 10 to the dotted line positions shown in Fig. 4., and in order to limit the forward turning of these parts when in their lowermost position and-to transmit the propelling power of the bladed disks to the machine frame and other parts, each supporting bracket or hanger 43 is supplied with an arm 58 which abuts against the under surface of the frame of the machine.

Each plow disk '54 has on its rear convex face any desired number. of outwardly-extended blades or vanes 59 which are preferably-cast integral with the disk and each provided with a. rounded corner 0 between its longitudinal tapered edge 60 and its outer end edge 61." These vanes or blades are so positioned on the disk that they enter the ground substantially at right angles to the direction. of travel of the machine to gain a firm hold in the ground, and leave the ground substai'itially parallel to that direction to reduce the back pressure. They are in effect sections or parts of a large screw. Owing to the rounded corner 60 of inclined or'beveled edges 60 and 61 of the same, the blades gradually enter the ground with asort of shearing aetionwhereby they may readily out through oused within the hollow interior,

gears and 38 to the driving or power shaft 39 and from the latter through the gears 40 and 47, shaft 48, and gears 55 and 56 to the bladed or vaned concave plowing disks. The disks 54, in conjunction with the scrapers 01' mold boards 62 perform the usual function of digging the furrow and turning over the earth, while the outwardlyprojected vanes or blades 59 dig into the sub-soil not reached by the disks and obtain a suflicient purchase therein to enable the engine to propel the machine forwardly. In addition the blades or vanes stir up or loosen the sub-soil and thereby performthe added function of assisting in the cultivation of the ground. The edge (50 of each blade enters the ground at substantially right angles to the direction of travel of the machine, as indicatedin Fig. 7, one of the blades being shown in full and dotted line positions. When the blade reaches the subsoilits end edge 61 also enters the same at practically a right-angle to the direction of travel, the ground does stantially parallel to thedirection of movement of the machine, thercby reducing the back pressure of the blade in the ground to a -very small amount (Figs. 7 and 8).

A' seat 63 is supplied at the rear of the but the blade inleaving steering handle 2L and adjacent to the engine 12, so that both may be under the control of the operator, and the steel-in gear maybe locked in any position desire by a handle (34: pivoted on the. frame and equipped witha dog adapted to enter any one of a series of 'notches of movable with the steering shaft 22. v In order to vary the depth of cut, I have made the vertical portions of all three axles 1G, 16 and 17 comparatively long and fix' to the top end of each a notched segment 66 to which is fulcrumed lifting lever mannally-actuated dog (39 adapte to enter any one of the notches of the segment? at G7 a bell-crank ll1e'slio1(er arm of this lever is connected.

by a link '70 to the adjacent portion of the fran'ie which is slidable on the axles. 'By operating all three of these levers the frame may be raised or lowered and locked in-udjusted position to obtain the desired depth of cut. 11' during the plowing operation any one or more of the disks strike an ob-'. struction which they cannot will be swung rearwardly by the same, the brackets 43 turning on the sleeves d0, permitting the disks to ride over the obstruca segment (35 68 having a sprin -pressed,

remove, they so with the edge-61 sub- .tion, and owing to their weight they will again enter the ground on the other side of the obstruction.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the details of COIiSt1l1Ctl01L0f this device may be modified and varied to a corisiderable extent without departing from the heart and essence of my invention, which is not limited to the precise Structural details shown but relates broadly to the propulsion of a plow by means of a vaned or similar member, the blades of which are adapted to enter the ground. As is obvious, it is pos- Slble'tO use a vaned or bladed member of the general character indicated for propelling the machine and loosening up the earth i without using a concave plowing disk.

The number of disks, blades, carrying wheels and the like is quite immaterial and may be changed as desired without sacrificing the beneiits and advantages of my invention or departing from its substance.

I claim:

1. In a plow, the combination of a rotary concave disk adapted to dig the furrow and plow-and dig the furrow, substantially as described.

3. In a plow, the combination of a rotary bladed member, the blades of which are outstanding and positioned on said member so as-to enter the ground, said member and blades being disposed at such an angle relative to the travel of the plow, that the blades enter the ground substantially at right angles to such travel, and leave the ground substantiallyparallel to such travel, and means to rotate said member to propel the plow, substantially as described.

4. in a plow, the combination of a rotary bladed member, the blades of which are outstanding and positioned on said member so as to enter the sub-soil, said member and blades being disposed at such an angle relative to the travel of the plow, that said blades enter the sub-soil substantially at right angles to the travel of the plow, loosen up the sub-soil, and leave the ground substantially parallel to such travel, and means to rotate said member to propel the machine, substantially as described.

5. Ina plow, the combination of a rotary concave disk, adapted to dig the furrow, said disk having outstanding blades, said disk and blades being disposed at such an angle relative to the travel of the plow, thatthe blades euter the subsoil substantially at right angles to the direction of travel of the plow, loosen up said sub-soil, and leave the ground substantiallyparallel to such travel, and means to rotate said bladed disk to propel the machine, substantially as described.

(3. In a plow, the combination of a supporting frame, a plurality of brackets or hangers rotatably mounted on said frame, and capable of swinging rearwardly independently of one another, a concave disk carried by each of said brackets or hangers and adapted to dig the furrbw, each of said disks having outstanding blades adapted to enter the ground, whereby the mountlngs of said diskspermit them to ride over obstructions, and means to rotate said bladed disks and propel the machine, substantially as described.

7. In a plow, the combination of a frame, a bracket or hanger rotatably mounted on said frame, and capable of swinging rear-.

\vardly, and a concave disk rotatable on said bracket or hanger, and adapted to dig the "furrow, outstanding blades on said disk,

positioned thereon so as to enter the sub-soil and loosen up the same, whereby the mounting of said disk permits it to ride over obstructions, and means to rotate said bladed disk, substantially as described.

, GEORGE G. FLOYD. \Vitnesses:

E. B. SHERZER, Jas. H. Lotus. 

